Report: Big 12 targeting Arizona as next Pac-12 defector

Colorado dealt a significant blow to the Pac-12 with news this week that they’d be leaving for the Big 12. Now, yet another school out west could be yet based on reports from Brandon Marcello at 247Sports.

Per Marcello, Arizona is “the Big 12’s next target” amidst conference realignment discussions. The Wildcats seem to be “open to discussing its future” as Marcello says the two sides have been in contact with one another “for several months”.

However, as Marcello continued in his piece, one potential snag could be the status of Arizona State.

“Members of Arizona’s board of regents have expressed a desire to keep Arizona State and Arizona in the same conference, sources tell 247Sports,” wrote Marcello. “That is not expected to be a roadblock if the Wildcats want to go alone and join Colorado in the Big 12. Arizona State’s university leadership has been cautious with the changing landscape and is not bullish on moving to the Big 12, sources tell 247Sports.”

As part of his report, Marcello updated the position of Utah and said they were firmly in the Pac-12 unless another league member paired off with them.

As far as the Big 12, he also added that both UConn and Gonzaga are also on the radars for the conference.

To get back to Arizona, the Wildcats could offer yet another solid brand to the Big 12 following their recent addition of the Buffaloes. Their football moved in a positive direction this past season by winning more games in 2022 than they had combined from 2019 to 2021.

Additionally, their basketball programs are also an intriguing addition considering the men have been a Top-2 seed in each of the past two NCAA Tournaments under Tommy Lloyd while the women have made three straight appearances in March Madness.

On SportsCenter on Friday afternoon, Heather Dinich shared her own thoughts on the Wildcats and how they could be yet another Pac-12 program to jump ship amidst a ton of frustration with the league at the moment.

“That conference is in a highly precarious position right now and there’s a lot of pressure on Commissioner George Kliavkoff to present the remaining presidents and chancellors a deal that makes them happy,” Dinich said. “I spoke with a source in the Big 12 today who told me the athletic directors met and said that they have room for one more. Are there any takers out there? All eyes are on Arizona to see if they make a move under pressure, on the clock.”

“They need to see, those presidents and chancellors remaining in the Pac-12, a deal that makes them happy,” said Dinich. “The question is can everyone else wait for it or do other schools, not just Arizona, ASU, Utah, Oregon, Washington, all get impatient and frustrated enough to follow Colorado.”

There’s still room for this idea to fall through and for Arizona to remain out west. Even so, reports like these continue to come from out of the Pac-12 and suggests that their leadership better be finding some acceptable solutions before their conference rips at the seam.